Windy Day Hair Painting with Straws

Crazy weather may keep us inside, but is great inspiration for reading about the wind and then creating some windy day hair paintings with straws.

I *think* spring is coming! Or at least it seems like it wants to. . . . There’s a saying where we live in Kentucky — “if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute and it will change.” So that’s what we’re doing, because this crazy weather has been going from sunny, to windy, to rainy all within the same day!

And one of those days I thought it was nice so I took the littlest two (ages 3 and 1) outside to play while the older ones were in school. But the sunny skies were deceiving and we didn’t last very long because it was so windy.

Is it wrong to admit that I was secretly kind of glad to go back in because the windy day reminded me of a windy day book and project we could do?!

The Windy Day by Anna Milbourne is beginning non-fiction told in story form. Milbourne’s simple explanatory text and textured watercolor paintings describe the things wind can do — making leaves dance across the grass, pushing sails on boats, and turning the blades of windmills.

One of my favorite examples/descriptions in this story is that the wind “ruffles your hair” and “snatches your hat, almost as if it wants to play.”

After Addy and I read this, we talked about it:
“What does it feel like when the wind ruffles your hair?”
“What does it look like when the wind ruffles your hair?”

We even ran back outside to feel it again.

And then we got out the paint so we could make some crazy windy day hair paintings with straws.  It was a super-fun project after reading/talking about the wind ruffling our hair!

Supplies for Windy Day Hair Painting with Straws:

• silly face printables (or draw your own)
• white card stock
• liquid watercolor paints (*see note below)
• paint palette with wells
• pipette (or dropper)
• drinking straw(s)
• wipeable tablecloth, plastic mat, etc. for easier cleanup

About Liquid Watercolors

Before starting the project, let’s chat about liquid watercolor paints. Liquid watercolor is a concentrated liquid paint that comes in bottles and can be used at full strength or diluted with water. They’re best when diluted at a ratio of 1:1, though you can use less water if you want a stronger color, and more water for a lighter color.

Liquid watercolors are different from the pans of watercolors you probably grew up with and can buy in the art section of the superstore. And they’re a great substitute (replacement?!) for pan watercolor paints because they produce rich, vibrant colors.

Keep in mind though, that these paints can be a bit messier than the watercolor pans because they’re liquid. And while you can find washable liquid watercolors, you still might want kids to wear an old shirt or apron.

I love liquid watercolors and think they’re a great art supply staple to keep on hand. But for this project, you can also dilute tempera paint (until it’s runny and can be picked up and dropped with a dropper/pipette), or add several drops of food coloring to a few tablespoons of water to create your liquid “paint.”

Print the Silly Faces

Print the silly faces (or draw your own). Sturdy paper like card stock works best so the paint doesn’t soak through (or at least not as much! Depends on how much paint the kids are using!).

Paint with a Dropper

We used clear pipettes for our windy day hair painting project, but any dropper will work. (You could even save one from an empty medicine bottle.) Using a dropper is a fun activity to develop littles’ fine motor skills. The first time we used the pipettes Addy needed instruction and a bit of help, but once she got the hang of it, she played and played and played.

Your mileage may vary with your own kids, but playing with a dropper is definitely a fun activity that keeps our preschooler busy and entertained for a long time!

If your kids are just learning to use a dropper you may want to do this project without the faces. But if choosing do use the face printables (or your own drawings), use the dropper to drip drops of paint along the hairline of the silly face.

Blow “Windy Day Hair” with a Straw 

Cut your straws in half, so your blowing is closer to the paint and more effective.
Then blow through the straw at the paint drops, forcing the paint up and out toward the edge of the paper to create crazy wind-blown “hair.”
Repeat with more paint and more colors! It’s fun when the paints start to blend together and create new colors.

After school big sisters wanted in on the creativity as well.
They had so much fun and their papers got so saturated that I had to encourage fresh sheets a few times. Otherwise, I just let them go and use their imaginations.

Looking for the FREE printable faces?! Read on. . . .

As a classroom teacher turned at-home mom, I have a passion for keeping lifelong learning fun and creative. And I’m especially crazy about teaching through stories and good books.

Come join our FREE Facebook group: Keeping Life Creative with Books where we chat all about creative ways to promote literacy and teach and learn through stories and some of the best children’s books.

These silly face printables are a FREE download in that group.

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